Mott 32 and the Farm-to-table Method

AUTHOR: Malcolm Wood - Food Director at Maximal Concepts

These days, you will find that in many cases, fruits and vegetables are normally treated with various chemicals. Gone are the days when these foods can be harvested without the use of pesticides; yet, in some parts of the world, efforts are being made to bring back organic food on the dining table. This is the concept behind the farm to table method.

What has brought about this change in food attitude? Blame it on simple health consciousness, or even in a sense of patriotism, emphasizing the need to support locally produced goods instead of going for imported products. Regardless of the reason, the fact is that the farm to table concept has caught on, and should be seen as good news for many agricultural workers. With the demand for organic foods growing, farmers will no longer see the need to use expensive chemicals and enjoy great savings in the process.

But what about the local business people; can they also benefit from the farm to table method? If contacts can be established with local farmers, goods can be purchased at significantly lower prices. This is part of the reason several fine dining places have opted to make use of organic foods in their various menus. Take the case of Mott 32, considered these days as among the best dimsum restaurants in Hong Kong in its class.

Operating in central Hong Kong, Mott 32 is rapidly gaining prominence for adopting the farm to table style of cooking. What has made the owners settle for a concept that may not be acceptable to many Hong Kong residents given their exposure to Western culture?

Actually, if you look at the history of Mott 32, you will find that it took its name after a Chinese retail store that opened in 1891 in 32 Mott Street in New York City. It was the first of its kind and was considered as among the pillars of the current Chinatown in the Big Apple. Despite adopting the modernity that surrounded it, the store retained much of its Chinese heritage, something that was carried on when Mott 32 the restaurant was brought to Hong Kong. As China is acknowledged as among the main agricultural countries, Mott 32 owners felt that it was only fitting to approach cooking in the traditional Chinese manner – straight from the farmland and onto the dining table.

As part of that ancient philosophy, Mott 32 has constructed a kitchen window where customers can look into directly as their roasted Peking duck gets cooked right before their very eyes. If that is not mouth-watering enough for you, how about getting to consume your food while sitting inside the kitchen itself? This is an option not taken often by many customers, but when you do, the experience will definitely be a once-in-a-lifetime event.What about other traditional Chinese recipes like dim sum? The resident chef, Fung is guaranteed to deliver what should be considered as the best Hong Kong dim sum around given his talent for creating favourite Hong Kong dishes with a passion all his own.

There is little more that can be said about Mott 32. This Chinese restaurant in central Hong Kong is a destination that you should never dare pass up when planning to dine in the many exciting places of Asia.